Huskies hoops: N’Diaye expected to be 7-foot difference-maker

Seven-foot transfer Aziz N’Diaye was welcomed to Pac-10 basketball well before official practice began last Friday. Two weeks ago, N’Diaye was in the training room getting his nose looked at after an open run in one of Hec Ed’s auxiliary gyms. A veteran teammate caught him in the face, resulting in N’Diaye’s second broken nose of his life.

During last Wednesday’s, pickup session N’Diaye wore the plastic mask that accompanies the aftermath of such dings. He also had a two-handed dunk in the lane, blocked shots and dove on the floor for a loose ball. Those three things, in essence, are what the Huskies hope to get from the Senegal native this fall.

Aziz N’Diaye

N’Diaye comes to the Huskies as a sophomore after redshirting his 2009-10 season at the College of Southern Idaho because of a torn ACL. The injury forces N’Diaye to wear a precautionary brace on his leg. But he is recovered from the damage that happened in May of 2009, now able to run and jump without hindrance. N’Diaye averaged 8.5 points and 7.9 rebounds in his freshman season at CSI.

“I don’t like losing,” N’Diaye said in explanation. “I think that motivates me on the court. I think about my team going down and the best I can help to get a W. Doesn’t matter what it is. That’s the way I can help.”

He can also help defensively by guarding the rim and grabbing rebounds. And he is not slight. N’Diaye brings a firm yet mobile seven-foot frame. Though there are questions about N’Diaye. Can he contribute beyond putbacks? Will his knee holdup in the Huskies’ swift offense? Can he play without getting in foul trouble?

“Aziz can finish around the rim off penetration,” Washington coach Lorenzo Romar said. “At this point, he’s working on becoming a guy you can throw it to on the low block and scores on a consistent basis.

“I think what he brings to the table is the guy in the middle defensively that rebounds, intimidates and enforces down there. He’s a guy that when the ball is in his hands, doesn’t make very many mistakes with it. His main contribution right now is providing a defensive presence in the middle for us.”

N’Diaye has heard the questions about his offense and assures he will be competent in the part the Huskies expect him to play.

“I’m not really bad at offense,” N’Diaye said. “I’m just trying to know my role on the team. Just trying to help my teammates by getting rebounds and stuff. The system we play, I’m going to get touches and I am going to be able to finish around the rim. So, I’m not worried about that.”